


Five Times Kelley Didn't Get to Corrupt Sonnett (And One Time She Did)

by Holladay Street (street)



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, Aftercare, Age Difference, Car Sex, F/F, Fuckbuddies, Gift Exchange, Love Confessions, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Power Dynamics, Roleplay, Semi-Public Sex, Sexting, Shameless Smut, Vibrators
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:47:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21882469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/street/pseuds/Holladay%20Street
Summary: Kelley had assumed that, being older and more *ahem* experienced, she'd have to be careful with Emily. Or, tbh, she'd kind of been looking forward to blowing Emily's mind.
Relationships: Kelley O'Hara/Emily Sonnett
Comments: 68
Kudos: 211





	1. Young 'un

**Author's Note:**

  * For [soran_rising](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soran_rising/gifts), [Sonnshine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sonnshine/gifts).

> Content warning: Heed the tags - cheerfully abundant filth and kink tropes ahead!
> 
> This prompt was hatched in the excellent company of [soran_rising](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soran_rising/pseuds/soran_rising) and [Sonnshine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sonnshine). It is for all of us, but especially for them.  
Soran_rising's story is [hang all the mistletoe, i’m gonna get to know you better (this christmas)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21876538/chapters/52215877).
> 
> I have don't have quite all of this drafted, so posting schedule is still pretty TBD.

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Kelley asked, for the third time since they’d moved to the back seat of the car.

Emily lifted her mouth off the swell of Kelley's breast and let the bra strap slide back into place with an impatient snap.

“I am very definitely ok. Why do you keep asking?”

“It’s just . . . I . . . five years is a lot.”

“You forgot to pack your Chaos Translator, Kelley. What are you talking about?” Emily’s focus was on Kelley, but Kelley could tell she was distracted enough to be getting impatient. She had one arm wound possessively around Kelley’s waist, and she was groping up Kelley's thigh with the other hand - fingers sure and bold as she teased Kelley's legs wider.

“Mm?” Emily prompted after a minute (Kelley realized she’d gotten distracted). “Do you mean you’ve been crushing on me for 5 years?”

“No! I mean, yes of course. But we are _not_ talking about that right now. I mean . . . five years is a big age difference. Are you sure you’re ok with that? I don’t want to take you out of your comfort zone.”

Emily started to giggle dropping her head down to Kelley’s chest, burying her face against Kelley’s breasts as it turned into a belly laugh.

“Well that’s a pity.” Emily said, finally. 

“Hunh? What’s a pity - I thought there WAS no pity in the rose city. I . . . oh fuck, Emily, your mouth.” Emily was rooting for exposed skin along the edge of Kelleys bra line, so Kelley thought it was only courteous to shrug off the straps and pull the cups down. Emily gave an approving sound, and spent a minute going after Kelley’s fingers where she held her bra - biting and sucking - before returning to lick teasing lines around the edges of Kelley’s nipples.

“It’s a pity,” Emily eventually lifted her mouth off to say, “that you’re not planning to take me out of my comfort zone. That sounds _really _fun. Now can I eat you out or do we need to process more shit first?”

“Oh. Um . . . “ was all Kelley could manage, but she spread her legs and helped Sonny hike up the short skirt she’d carefully (hopefully) chosen that morning.

“The age thing is fine, B T Dubs..” Emily said, almost off-hand, as she slid into the footwell. “Sophomore year I dated my TA. I broke up with her, though, when I started hooking up with this really smart adjunct professor - It was easier, you know? 

“What was easier? The professor?” Between the turn the conversation had taken and Emily’s hands high on her thighs Kelley felt lost.

Emily giggled a bit. “Oh god she _was - _ _ so  _ easy. But I was talking about dating older women - they were more understanding about the time commitments of athletics and stuff. It made way more sense.” Emily looked earnest and guileless (or, as much as she could while running a thumb under the elastic of Kelley’s underwear). “Most of the other undergrads were kind of shit at boundaries.”

“Oh.” Kelley said. And then, “oo_ohh_” as Emily slid Kelley’s panties aside and pressed her mouth right above Kelley’s clit - breath hot and damp with the promise of things to come.


	2. Good vibrations

“So I thought we might try something a little different tonight, Kitten.” Kelley said as they waited for their entrees.

She'd learned to broach sex topics early. Emily was a considerate and _very _enthusiastic lay, but her attention tended to drift. Kelley had learned to have substantive conversations before their shirts came off - after that, the window for conversation was pretty well gone.

“You were admiring my necklace earlier.” Kelley said, fiddling with the slim pendant. Emily bit her lip, eyes tracking the movement of Kelley's fingers against the metal - gratifyingly riveted. Kelley doubled down - teasing the edge of it inside the deep v-neck of her shirt and tracing the curve of her own breast.

“What would you think, Em, if I told you it was actually a vibrator?”

Emily's face lit up.

“I _thought_ it looked familiar!” she exclaimed. “I remember all the fuss about those when they launched. How do you like it as a vibe? Can I check it out?”

Emily was reaching across before Kelley could slip the chain over her head, and when their eyes met Emily's were cheeky and sparkling.

"Don't bother taking it off, babe." she murmured, as she ran her fingers gently against the warm metal, pushing it lightly against Kelley's skin. "How do you turn it on?"

Kelley did a quick assessment of the noise level in the restaurant (boisterous) and the location of their table (private), and then flicked it on.

"Ooh, it's buzzy!" Emily said - quiet but pleased. She ran the toy slowly over the bumps of Kelley's breastbone, glancing up to gauge Kelley's reaction. Her smile was so excited and genuine when she saw the effect she was having on Kelley - Kelley felt a surge of ridiculous fondness.

Kelley had meant to push some limits tonight - wear something a little naughty out in public and watch Emily get at _least_ a _little _bit bothered. She'd imagined slightly wide eyes and a pretty blush across her cheeks. Instead, the vibrations from her toy (hers!) were _literally _hitting the center of her chest, and Emily was grinning - intrigued, yes, but hyped and bold and so totally unshaken. Emily's experience was the last thing Kelley had been expecting when they started these hookups, and it still irritated her a little whenever she got caught off guard. But, oh, that _look_ on Emily's face, that hungry interest that communicated exactly how much she wanted Kelley, wanted whatever they were about to do. It threw Kelley off balance in the best ways - a bit wordless, a bit wet in the underwear, and a lot fond.

“Um, uh . . . yeah, for its size it’s nice and strong.” Kelley finally managed, leaning into Emily's hand against her sternum.

“That’s great, babe! We should totally use it on you tonight." Emily replied. "I, uh, I actually happen to have my Hitachi magic wand in my suitcase? I might pull that out to use on me - I like a lot of power in my vibe.”

Kelley laughed a little. “Well _now_ I feel like I brought a knife to a gunfight.”

“Oh, no babe!" Emily clicked off the toy and took Kelley's hand. "I mean, there’s no way I could’ve hauled mine out to a nice restaurant like this. Yours it totally cool.” It might have stung except for how genuine the look in Emily’s eyes was.

"Besides," Emily continued after a minute, "they seem to be taking a while with our food. We could, um, find the powder room and . . . " her eyes dropped to the necklace, slow and deliberate, and suddenly they were both grinning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kelley's pendant is a [real thing](https://www.lovecrave.com/products/vesper/), and it is indeed very buzzy.


	3. (Not) losing the locker room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for captain/rookie roleplay with unequal power dynamic. (I was gonna do coach/player but there are so many horrendous irl scandals - I couldn't stomach it.)

They could walk to the hotel, this camp. Kelley loved it.

She loved not having to wait for everybody at the hotel in the morning, and the extra time outside. She loved the chance to ramble around town a little, pick up an afternoon coffee, and wind down after the intensity of practice.

Right now, she loved something else about it too.

Their last teammate's footsteps were still receding down the hall, and she already had Emily against the locker room door - already had Emily's earlobe in her teeth.

Emily was making grabby hands across her back, down her ass, under her kit jersey. They'd both known this was coming - been staring too long at each other across the field all practice after some thwarted make-outs last night.

Kelley nudged Emily’s face up so she could angle under her jaw, tasting salt as she opened her mouth against the tender skin of Emily's throat. She slid her hand against Emily's abs, hearing that telltail breath-catch that told her they were on the same page - that this was going to go fast.

“Hold on, babe." Emily said, stilling Kelley's hand. "Let me take my spandex off first. You’ll get - _ahem - _way better access that way”

They broke apart, and Kelley stripped hers off too for good measure - tossing the close-fitting shorts vaguely toward her bag and shimmying her looser kit shorts back on while Emily did the same. Emily had snapped into planning mode, thinking three steps ahead with that mischievous grin that Kelley knew all to well by now. Again, suddenly, Kelley felt like she was bobbing along in Emily’s wake - unprepared for the level of comfort and downright enthusiasm Emily showed whenever things got a little filthy. 

“Kels, Kels!” Emily touched her arm to get her attention. “Don’t bother locking the door. If anybody comes back I'll take care of us - I’ve got a pretty good poker face about this stuff.” She winked.

“Oh, my god. Um, ok."

“Oh . . " Emily paused, “are you ok with that? I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable.”

“That’s really hot, I’ve just . . . never. Before. Like, where I could _actually_ get caught.”

“Babe,” Emily grinned - gentle but so cheeky, “that’s kind of the _point_ of public sex. Do you maybe . . . need me to show you a thing or two?” Emily stepped in close, and suddenly those two inches she had on Kelley felt like six. Kelley gulped. There was something hungry in Emily’s eyes - like Emily was ready to eat her. Kelley felt the dynamic click over - shocking, but delicious.

“Um,” Kelley gulped again, making it a little showy this time, dropping her eyes shyly but lifting her chin so that Emily could see her throat as she swallowed. “Yes - show me please?”

Emily gave a pleased little growl and wrapped her hands carefully around Kelley’s hips, taking a minute to dig her fingers into Kelley's ass and thumb the grooves along her hipbones before backing her against the lockers and pinning her there - a tiny jolt as her shoulders hit the metal.

“I could tell you were trying hard out there today, Rookie,” Emily said, slow and sure and just the slightest bit cocky, “but do you really call that a foul? It looks like I’m going to have to spend a lot of my time as captain working on technique with you.”

“Um, yeah.” Kelley murmured.

“Hm-mm, not gonna cut it." Emily cut in. "I'm gonna need your respect here, Rookie. And I need to hear whether you're in this with me." Emily's mouth was quirked in a grin, but her eyes were somber. Kelley knew a check-in, an option to call things off, when she saw one. But right now that was the last thing she wanted.

"Yes Captain Sonnett. Sorry." Kelley murmured. She shifted a little under Emily's hands, wanting more contact. "I wanna put in the work, Captain. I promise."

Emily leaned in, pressing her so there was the slightest edge of discomfort where the locker handles dug into her back, and running a hand possessively across her stomach.

Kelley felt breathless. She’d roleplayed a little before, but never somewhere other people might walk in. And she’d always, _always_ been in charge. Still, her trembly knees and the way she couldn’t quite pull in enough breath were more than enough internal confirmation that this was going exactly how she wanted it right now.

“I want to get better, Captain. I’ll try so hard. Show me?” Kelley’s voice sounded breathy and overly-dramatic even to her own ears. Emily was eating it up though - smirking, eyes keen as she watched Kelley's reactions.

“You need me to show you? You need me to do _all_ the work here - after we gave you that scholarship and everything? Ohhh girl, you better ask nicely.”

“Please.” It spilled out before Kelley could even register her decision to open her mouth. “Emily . . . Captain, please - I’ll pay _such_ much attention, I’ll work _so_ hard.”

“When you foul you’ve gotta be decisive, Rookie. You’ve gotta go in fast and sure. You’ve gotta want it.”

“I understand.” Kelley gulped, grabbing at the thin fabric of Emily’s jersey. “I’ll try harder next time. I _do _want it, please . . .”

“_There’s_ the amazing team player we recruited.” Emily grinned and slid her hand under Kelley’s kit shorts, two fingers pressing up until they hit moisture. 

Kelley gasped at the touch, working her hips forward as much as she could while standing. Emily knocked Kelley’s feet wider apart, moving close against her - her body language somehow both completely self-contained and all up in Kelley's space.

Emily’s fingers were a teasing against her center, working her up. All Kelley could manage was another "Please" but it was enough. Emily gave a little helpless half-growl in the back of her throat and slid her fingers in.

The lockers clanked a little every time Emily fucked into her. Kelley had a fleeting thought to fix it some how - to move them somewhere less noisy. Anybody passing by in the hallways would know _exactly _what was happening in here. But the thought of it only pushed her higher. Emily was going fast, thumb on her clit, somehow hitting a delicious spot against her front wall with every stroke even though the angle was shitty. Kelley felt oddly passive - almost helpless - sandwiched between Emily's solid body and the lockers, with no space to touch Emily in return. After a minute she managed to find Emily's neck. She could see a faint mark from where her mouth had been a few minutes ago, and she latched onto the same spot, scraping her teeth lightly until Emily curled her fingers to hit Kelley's g-spot, and Kelley bit hard in response.

"Good" Emily tilted her head to give Kelley more space to work her mouth. "That's it, Rookie. Pulling your weight - feels so good."

Kelley could feel herself getting close. She was trying to keep her mouth on Emily's neck as they moved together, but the way Emily was pushing her tight against the lockers it felt like she could only catch half a breath at a time, and she felt on the edge of dizzy from it. Finally she dropped her head to Emily's shoulder, gasping "Please, Captain . . . I can't . . . please?" 

"I've got you," Emily reassured. She didn't slow down, but she pulled Kelley closer with her free hand, her grip steady and comforting. "You're doing so good Rookie, so good baby . . . just relax for me. I've got you."

Kelley did, feeling her knees tremble as the spiral of orgasm coiled up through her. It hit hard, suspending her in a long, bright, breathless moment at the top where all she could feel was the tense of her muscles and Emily's hands on her - heavy and sure.

The aftershocks hit just as quick. She heard Emily crooning sweet nothings against her hair as sound and sight filtered back, just before her knees gave a decisive wobble.

Emily muttered "whoops," followed by another "I've got you" and she grabbed Kelley's ass with still-slick fingers to help her keep her feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued . . . aftercare for this one will be posted tomorrow.
> 
> Fic friends - I need your input. I haven't drafted chapter 5 yet, and I've already hit most the kink tropes I initially wanted to play with. Are there tropes you'd like to see from these two? I can't promise I'd write them exactly (see this chapter - I did NOT mean to combine semi-public sex and roleplay, but by gosh these two Took It There), but I could use some inspiration.  
Don't worry about our Plus 1 chapter - that one's already in draft and it's gonna be super sweet.


	4. . . . and after

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of update yesterday - it was a work day for me.
> 
> This ch. picks up as a continuation from ch. 3.

"I got you, babe. I got you." Emily murmured.

Kelley still looked a little lost as she finished coming down. She was letting Emily hold her up (a first for them), and Emily felt a surge of smug protectiveness as soon as she noticed. 

"Let's get you cleaned up." Emily said, after they'd both caught their breath. She moved to pick Kelley up, but Kelley made an unhappy sound.

"You though Emily, Captain, I should . . ."

"You should let me take care of you. It's just us now, Kels. Just Em."

"Mm" was all she got in return, but Kelley wrapped her arms around Emily's neck and let herself be picked up.

Emily set Kelley on a bench near their lockers, swinging one of her own legs over so she could scoot close and let Kelley lean against her chest. She long-armed for a water bottle and then her hoodie, wrapping it over both their shoulders so they were snuggled together. She popped up the top of her water bottle and rested it gently against Kelley's mouth. Kelley drew back a little and took the water bottle from Emily herself (stubbornly independent even now).

"Small sips." Emily instructed, smoothing Kelley's fly-aways back from her face. "Let it settle you - notice how it feels."

She only got another "Mm" in response but Kelley slowed down, breathing between sips and sagging a little into Emily.

"You did so good." Emily murmured, once Kelley had handed the water back and she'd taken a swig herself. "The way you went with it, the way you stuck with me all the way through." She ran a hand in long strokes from the crown of Kelley's head down her back. 

She knew their teammates were long gone, but as she stroked through Kelley's hair she pictured it - Ash or Pinoe or someone else who would know exactly what they were seeing when they opened the door to find them like this. Imagined that they'd see how Kelley curled against her playing with the hem of her jersey with slow fingers, looking almost sleepy with the effort of coming back to herself. Imagined how she must look wrapped around Kelley like this, taking her weight.

"Em?" Kelley broke Emily out of her musing. "Was that really ok? I've never done it that way. I've never been the one who . . . the one that . . . I just wanted to try and be so good for you."

"Kels, you were perfect." Emily reassured her. She bent to kiss Kelley's forehead - dry little pecks against her salty skin. "I'm so proud of you - you were such a good girl for me."

Kelley shivered a bit. "Wow," she said. "That's . . . weird. Like it shouldn’t feel that good to hear. But it feels _really _good. Tell me again?"

Emily chuckled. Of course Kelley would get demanding about this, like she was about everything.

"You were perfect, baby. Fucking you like that got me so hot - I can't wait to do it again sometime."

"Mmm," Kelley said. And then she burrowed her nose into the hollow of Emily's throat before whispering. "Me too."

They showered together, slow and dreamy, Kelley's forehead resting against Emily's chin while Emily washed her hair. And Emily got to dry her - maybe her favourite part yet - one freckled limb and a time. Emily walked them back to the locker room carelessly naked, so that Kelley could have a towel for her hair. And once they were ready to go, Kelley nearly back to herself by now but still not _quite _there - she wordlessly held out her hoodie for Kelley to slip into, then spun her and zipped it to her chin, hefting both their gym bags and holding up her other arm for Kelley to slip under. Kelley nestled in, matching their strides as they let the locker room door fall closed behind them and headed towards the afternoon sun.


	5. Calling it

Emily had looked like a bombshell when she left. Bright red dress, hair and makeup done up like she hardly ever did them here in Portland, and heels. (Heels! Kelley could count on one hand the number of times she'd seen Emily in heels, ever. And all of those were before they'd started doing whatever-this-was together. It took all her willpower to wave goodbye and send Emily off with Lindsey (Emily had made one sly mention earlier about Lindsey being her plus-one tonight, and Kelley had pulled her into the shower and kissed her, hard, until her back was flat against the tile and Kelley had room to go down . . . so maybe was _technically _positive reinforcement for Emily's teasing, but they'd both gotten some great orgasms out of it. And it had been enough to slake Kelley's possessive streak for the time being.)

At least Emily's dress was long enough to cover her calves - if those wonders had been on display Kelley wasn't sure she would have been able to keep her hands off as Emily stepped into her heels, to get the door and let Lindsay in to wait while Emily was layering up her mascara, to wave them both out the door, without putting a stop to the whole thing and pulling Emily back to the bedroom.

Of course, Emily had been implying that _she _should be pulling _Kelley _back into the bedroom just as hard.

They'd ended up in the same town on the same night at different events - Emily at the Thorns end of season gala, and Kelley at a 'do for UnderArmor's new west coast headquarters. It hadn't been planned, exactly, but it was working out ok so far. And Kelley knew, as she locked up and headed out a few minutes after Emily, that four hours from now they'd both be back in Em's bed doing what exactly they _really _wanted.

They didn't last four hours.

Or rather, Kelley's libido waited approximately 90 minutes (through the Lyft to the venue, a single drink, and a round of polite sponsor chat and hors d'oeuvres). Kelley should have been focused. This was technically a work event, after all. But she felt the telltale vibrations of Emily double-texting her, and started picturing the way that dress had hugged Emily's waist and, well, that was the beginning of the end, really.

Kelley drifted away from the little knot of marketing department people she'd been chatting with, set down her glass, found a deserted corner in the hallway.

**Sonny:** What'd you end up doing with your hair? Wanna see you all fancy.

**Sonny: **Send me a selfie ;)

Kelley could work with that - could give Emily a little more than she was expecting, even. 

With half an eye on foot traffic Kelley hiked her dress down a little to make her cleavage pop, pulled her hair forward on either side to frame it, and leaned into the shot. She got it perfect on the second try - the overhead lights leaving her face in shadow but making the pale skin of her breasts almost glow. Her hair was technically in there too, but she knew where Emily's eyes would be going. It should be more than enough to get Emily a little bothered - just the kind of payback Kelley was looking for, for how deliciously distracting the other girl had looked when she left.

She sent it with a cheeky:   
  
**KO: **Your hair better be behaving too, babe ;)

Kelley's phone didn't vibrate again until she was sitting at dinner. She was curious to see whatever comeback Emily had come up with - even if it was just raucous stories from the gala. She stayed through the main course and the speakers. (She was seated with a couple of execs, and these people had been her sponsors for almost her whole career - even with the hottest booty call imaginable burning a hole in her pocket, she could manage a little decorum for her work fam.)

She did slip out between dinner and dessert though - back in the hallway, with the clatter of caterers at the far end and the occasional guest wandering past in search of the washrooms. She found a modest amount of cover slipping down to sit beside a massive potted plant, and thumbed open her phone.

The first thing she saw made her deeply, deeply glad she'd left the dining room.

**Sonny: **My hair is perfectly behaved! It misses you tho :p

Kelley had been expecting a selfie - either a classic Weird Sonny face, or a table full of grinning Thorns players. She'd even been preparing herself for some overly-cuddly picture of Emily and Lindsey (she knew Emily would be teasing her about her possessive reaction this afternoon for a long while).

She had not expected the background of sterile bathroom tile setting off the rich red of Emily's dress crumpled up to her waist. She hadn't been expecting v-lines, flexed a little. And she _definitely_ hadn't been expecting Emily's fingers slipped inside her underwear, thumb hooked into the elastic and dragging it down just enough to show off close-cropped pubic hair.

Kelley gasped and muttered "Oh fuck!" before she could think about stopping herself. The thought of Emily wrinkling up that fabulous dress in a bathroom stall, getting the smell of herself on her fingers before returning to her teammates, left Kelley breathless. Kelley wondered how long the Thorns event ran, officially. Wondered, if she called Emily a Lyft in 90 minutes (Or 60? Or pretty-please 30?) if she would take it. Or if she'd laugh and send the car away, dancing with her teammates until the very end - knowing Kelley would be that much more desperate for her afterwards.  
  
"Ms. O'Hara, are you ok?"

It was one of the athletic-wear design interns. A hilarious sweet young thing, with nervous hands but bold purple hair. She'd been in charge of wardrobe at Kelley's last shoot - far too earnest and organized for her pay-grade. Marlee? Marnie? Kelley couldn't remember.

"Ms. O'Hara?"

"Yeah, hi, um. . ." Kelley took a deep breath. She could feel how her cheeks flaming, and she hoped Intern-With-The-M-Name didn't notice. "I just . . . um, got some news."

She started to wave off Intern-With-The-M-Name with the hand holding her phone, before she realized the photo was still open. She clutched it to her chest, clicking it off and closing her eyes for a moment. Good god, she was losing it. One look at Emily's underwear and she was fucking losing it in the hallway of a rented event space.

"Are you sure you're ok? You look flushed. I could bring you some water if that would help - the drinks tonight have been pretty strong." Intern-With-The-M-Name offered.

"You know, that would be great. Thank you." Kelley said.

She didn't exactly want to correct the fresh young thing that these drinks were _nothing _compared to the ones Ali mixed. And she definitely couldn't explain what was up by saying something like "my fuck-buddy is a sex savant, and she just won even though I didn't know we were competing". But from how this intern had been during the shoot she seemed to like being useful - and Kelley _could _actually use something cool to drink right about now.

Kelley was standing by the time Intern-With-The-M-Name came back. She made a little conversation - not too awkward - while she sipped water, and mentally prepared herself to head back in, the thought of Emily's photo still vivid in her mind's eye.

"Wait, you've got . . . the back of your dress." Intern-With-The-M-Name paused them with a light hand on her elbow, and brushed her down - just lightly grazing her ass. Once she finished she eased the hand on Kelley's elbow up towards her shoulder, and flicked those innocent-looking eyes up. "I'm sure you've got a sexy rugged guy waiting for you at home, Ms. O'Hara. But I've gotta say - if you played for my team I totally would have just slipped my number into your pocket." 

Intern-With-The-M-Name caught her breath, as if not quite believing she'd said that out loud, then gave Kelley a tiny grin and slipped away into the dining room.

Kelley slumped against wall, flabbergasted all over again and the farthest thing from ready to rejoin dinner. What _was _it with the BDE on the kids these days? She had no idea how to up her game to match. And _still, _the _only _thing she wanted to do was go home to Emily and get both their dresses off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout-out to Soran_Rising's ch. 5 for the cheeky selfie inspo.
> 
> The Thorns end-of-year todo traditionally has some players speak (including Sonny), and has been known to get a little roast-y. Also, everybody cleans up _real_ nice. It's lovely.
> 
> Thus endeth the kink tropes! Our final chapter is pretty much pure fluff. I'm back at work tomorrow, so if you don't get Ch. 6 then expect it fresh-baked to order on Saturday.


	6. Plus One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the final chapter, folks. It's a soft one!  
This has been a ball to write. My deepest and most squee-ful thanks to soran_rising and Sonnshine for undertaking this whole damn lovely thing with me, to BeaSwann for the instructive dialogue beta on this chapter, and to all of you for your excited audiencing and kind comments.

It had been months. Months of spur-of-the-moment hookups and inevitable-seeming sleepovers. Months of discovering exactly what a filthy place Emily Sonnett’s mind was. And months of shared breakfasts in coffeeshops and long glances on the field and daily torrents of texts. Months of - and this had surprised Kelley until she really thought about how Sonnett was with people, and then it didn't surprise her at all - better communication and support than Kelley’d gotten in her official capital-letter Relationships.

So really, it was beyond time to do something about all this. 

She picked after an afternoon game. The teams had battled to a draw and then met up for an early dinner. Afterwards she’d driven Sonny to the bluffs outside Salt Lake to catch the sunset. 

She wondered, as she parked, whether Emily was noticing that she’d picked a romantic place. (Kelley was, despite it all, a romantic.)

She waited until after they’d gotten situated on the wide ledge of sandstone, still warm from the sun and pleasingly scratchy against the backs of her legs.

She waited until they'd done some hello-there-I-missed-you necking, and pulled back so she could admire the sunset colors lighting up the angles of Sonny’s face, and then leaned in for just a little more.

She waited until she couldn’t wait any more.

“Emily, can we talk?” she finally ventured. 

Emily’s gaze on her was immediate and sharp, eyes a little wide.

“Are you breaking up with me?” Emily asked, paused for a moment, and then started to backpedal hard. “I mean, I know we’re not really dating. I just, I really like this. Not to pressure you though! If you didn't want to do this any more, or if there's someone else, we can stop. I'll be a good teammate, I'll figure it out.”

“Oh! No!” Kelley reassured. She pulled Emily close and pressed kisses wherever her mouth landed, catching an awkward angle of eyelid before finding Emily's temple. She felt the tension leave Emily’s body in little jolts with every breath until Emily was leaning against her, slipping an arm around her waist in return, was kissing back, still makeshift and random - chin, cheek, ear.

“I don’t want to stop this.” Kelley said finally. “But that is what I wanted to talk about.”

Emily’s eyes, when she flicked them up, were wide and still utterly uncertain. Kelley stroked Emily's hair, wishing she could wrap her up in a blanket of reassurances. But she felt completely unsure HOW to reassure her right now. Emily always took everything Kelley could throw at her with an even keel, then added her own stuff and threw it right back. This new side of Emily - unsure, self-effacing - was sending Kelley off balance yet again.

Finally Kelley drew back, stroking her fingers through Emily's hair. She needed to be able to see Emily's face while she talked - now that she'd finally worked up the courage (or rather, painted herself into a corner so that the only choice was to go ahead).

“I really like doing this with you, Emily. And I’d be totally down to make it official. But whether we do or not - pretty much no matter what - I want you to know something.”

Kelley sought out Emily's free hand and tangled their fingers together.

“Emily, I'm in love with you.”

Kelley had thought this would be better if she could see Emily. But as she watched the expressions flicker over it Emily's face she lost her nerve a little. She pulled Emily in against her, kissing the top of her head before murmuring in her hair. “I love your sense of humor, and how comfortable you are trying all the weird-ass stuff I think up. And I love how soft and sweet you are with me when I need it, and that you notice _when_ I need that. I love how you are on the pitch and I have so much respect for you as a player. I love how you tell me exactly what you think and how open you are to my ideas and I _love_ how you make me feel. I love . . .Emily, oh shit, Em, what’s wrong?”

Emily was shaking a little, and when Kelley pulled away she realized Emily was crying. Not the pretty tears of getting what you want, but ugly crying like something was too close, too raw, too open.

“Emily, I’ve gotcha, take your time, but please, _please,_ when you’re ready please tell me what’s wrong?”

“I love you like crazy." Emily sniffed out after a minute. "And I have no idea what to do with that, Kelley. I’ve just been trying not to think about it too much. I’m so scared of fucking this up with you."

Emily was against her again, a smear of snot against her collarbone that should be gross but was the last thing Kelley was thinking about right now. She took another shaky breath and murmured, almost too quiet to hear against Kelley's chest. " I've . . . I've never done this before."

“Oh babe.” Kelley drew her close, rocking a little, and waited until Emily had cried herself out.

“Em”, Kelley asked, as Emily breathing finally evened out, “is it really that different? Being how we are right now, and being in love? I don't feel like our hangouts would change. And, um, I _really _hope our amazing sex wouldn’t change. You’re already the first person I wanna talk or hang with when I have time off - and I’m pretty sure I’m your default drunk dial.”

“You're all of that for me too.” Emily replied “But Kells, the stakes would be _completely_ different. Drunk dialing and letting you see all my weird brain mess? Or the kinds of fucking we do? That's not . . . that's not, like, the way you show someone you respect them. That's not how you earn love and stuff."

"Huh" Kelley replied, "I think the complete opposite. I think those _are_ the things we do with the people we trust. Like, I want it to be _you _who fucks me on a dare in an airport bathroom, because you _know _me. I trust you to do that and still see me as someone complex and independent and everything. And I know you respect me after - hell - _during _doing that.

"Of _course_ I do, Kelley!" Emily broke in.

"Well, there ya go."

They sat silent for a few minutes. A swallow swooped close, hunting insects, and Kelley jumped back a little. Emily chuckled, muttering "I'll protect you, Kels" and wrapping an arm around Kelley's shoulders.

"The thing you said before that I'd most like to poke holes in," Kelley said finally, and then turned towards Emily to check quickly, "if it's ok to poke holes?"

"I mean . . . I'm completely wild about you, and here you're basically asking my permission to tell me that's ok." Emily said with a laugh. "I'm not exactly gonna say no, babe."

"Ok," Kelley nodded, "so, you sort of just said you have to earn love."  
  
Emily started wiggling and Kelley paused, knowing she was about to be interrupted.

"Not earn like _earn _. . . but just . . . ugh, I don't know what I mean."

"Let's just roll right over that then, babe." Kelley continued. "Because I'm not asking you to do anything differently. And you sure as hell don't need to change yourself to get me to love you. That part's, like, already in motion."

"Ok" Emily breathed. "That's . . .I'm not sure how I feel about that. I feel like I should do something extra to deserve it."

"Well if you keep feeling that way maybe we can work something out the next time you go down on me." Kelley quipped back, adding "Oh my god, Emily, I was joking!" when she saw Emily's face brighten.

They laughed it off, Emily pulling her close, and lapsed into silence for another minute, watching the bats replace swallows in the darkening sky.

“I’ve known you for years." Kelley said finally. "I already know . . . what’s the phrase ‘the shape of your character’. I don’t need you to show me who you are, I started hooking up with you already knowing that and I fell in love with you because of it.”

“I just . . .” Emily shifted restlessly in Kelley’s arms, “I already can’t imagine losing you. If things ever went south or anything. And if I was losing my girlfriend as well as my best friend. . . “

“Or imagine we work hard to make sure they DON’T go south - at least not in the un-fun ways.” Kelley replied. Emily snerked and elbowed her ribs - exactly like she’d hoped. “And you get a hot girlfriend out of the deal."

"I think I could work with that." Emily said after a minute.

“Shall we try?" Kelley asked, trying no to hold her breath, and failing

"Yeah." Emily said, leaning close and giving Kelley's cheek a soft kiss. "Let's try."


End file.
